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At Leapfrog we are paving the way for young market researchers through our graduate schemes. We hope to inspire and educate our interns helping them take that next step to the working world of research. Over the next few posts we will be introducing the youngest members of the Leapfrog team including our interns, work placement student and our new fully fledged researcher, hearing about their views on working with us.
Rhiannon Jones - Graduate researcher
Age - 23
Degree - English Literature and Philosophy
Length of time at Leapfrog - 10 months
One word to sum up life here - Diverse
Why work in research?
Having studied English Literature and Philosophy at Uni, I have always been interested in looking for ways of making sense out of what people think and say and, perhaps more importantly, why they think and act as they do; this notion is embedded in research, and one that can have significant, and exciting, impacts on clients' decisions.
It has been great starting out at an agency like Leapfrog, because it’s big enough to give you the opportunity to get stuck into a diverse range of projects, yet intimate enough to allow you to feel valued and part of the team.
My alter ego - Film critic, because I wouldn’t mind spending all day in the cinema!
A brand for our times – September 2011
When a successful and familiar brand changes its slogan, is it because the marketing director fancies a new challenge, or is it because society has shifted and it wants to stay tuned in and reflect the new order. We think Sainsbury’s new Live well for less campaign is a great example of the latter - and a clear winner to boot. Here’s why:
- It shows empathy – it understands that times are tough and wallets are stretched
- It opens the Sainsbury’s world to more people
- It keeps quality at the heart of its offer – it’s not about cheapness but real value
- It positions Sainsbury’s as a much needed helping hand – it has a peer to peer rather than nannying voice
- It focuses on old-fashioned family experiences and getting our priorities right
- And finally, it puts good food at the heart of family life – where it belongs
Living well for less indeed
Travel blog - Diary of a Researcher
Entry #02 - Honduras – June 2011
Whenever possible, at Leapfrog we like to immerse ourselves in the culture of the country where we are conducting research. Sue went to Saudi and I went to Honduras for the same project. What struck me on the drive from San Pedro Sula to my hotel was that Latin America is a world of extremes - luxury just out of reach of shanty towns, plantation owners and their privately guarded mansions less than 5 minutes from handmade homes with dirt floors. There isn't even an attempt to hide the disparity.
We spent several days in what Americans would consider a very sub-par facility. Security was a major consideration and we weren't even allowed to walk to the Quiznos for lunch for safety reasons (American chain restaurants - are they everywhere now?). When we travelled to the wholesalers market, sadly my English attracted too much attention, so we had to cut the visit a bit short. Fortunately, I managed to see where the food I was eating at the hotel was coming from as well as the products we were testing. A little shocked at the fact that fish was sitting out without ice, and a gentleman was taking a nap on a pile of grain, but fascinated still.
One of the most interesting parts of the journey came when we went out for some store visits to find the product we were working on. It's the biggest brand in the category so there was no shortage of awareness. What surprised me compared with more established markets was that this awareness was pretty superficial and that shop owners and assistants didn't actually understand how the product works, what the ingredients are, or the difference between variants. And, often times, they made things up in what seemed a very impromptu fashion. Through our focus group discussions, which echoed our shop visits, it became clear that the brand needed to focus on very basic messaging to reach out to consumers and meet them where they are. The experience with store owners, in this case, was invaluable. Simplicity is important here.
And that leads me on to another interesting learning that came thanks to Pepsi. Pepsi has taken it upon themselves to paint the entirety of Honduras, in their famous red, white and blue of course. Every few feet, it seems, some surface or another has a Pepsi logo hand painted on it. Even when driving through areas where you can't imagine anyone even has a refrigerator, Pepsi is advertising. Coke is doing its best to catch up, but their advertising takes the form of professionally printed plastic signs. Much more expensive, and less agile than Pepsi's stencil painted logos. In emerging markets, you have to stay nimble.
Mayan ruins, Copan:
Nathan
